Master Bao and the Ox’s Tale

A story set in China during the Tang Dynasty (618–906 CE)

By

Tom Hanratty

Photo by Wei Pan on Unsplash

Master Bao rode his ox along a trail that fell away to a narrow river valley. His pupil Ping walked along his Master’s side.

“Tonight we will come to the village of Wu Li,” Master Bao said. “We will stay in the Hostel of White Clouds. It is a famous resting place for merchants who travel these roads.”

“Master Bao,” Ping said, his head bowed and his hands inside his copious sleeves raised in respect. “What is the role of the Sage among the common people?

In answer, Master Bao dismounted his bull ox and waved his arm to encompass the vast landscape they faced.

The two men were standing on a path that wound along a mountain precipice, with a sheer drop to one side of the trail. The view from the path overlooked a deep, wooded valley cut by a rapid river.

“What do you see, Student Ping?” he asked his assistant.

“I see a mountain capped by snow, encircled by clouds,” the young man answered. “I see a river that runs over stones, and creates a mist. The trees of a forest climb both slopes of the hills, and plants of all kinds cover the land.”